Whilst all of us have had our lives affected by the corona-virus imposed lockdown, so also have our pets. Here we look at things to consider in helping dogs with lockdown.
Make sure they get enough sleep
Before lockdown, many dogs would have spent a lot of time sleeping whilst you were at work. Now with many dog owners at home and so much more activity in the house during the day, your dog may be getting much less sleep during the day. Make sure your dog has a quiet place to retreat to, if they feel tired. It may be worth encouraging your dog to go to this quiet place during the day for an hour or so to have some quiet time.
Vary your lockdown walks
The current government guidance says you can leave your house to walk your dog. If there are other members in your household then your dog may get extra walks in a day. Try to vary the walks to keep your dog stimulated. You may need to think carefully about where you will walk to allow adequate social distancing. There will be more people out walking with gyms being closed and more people working from home. Some narrow paths make it difficult to keep the required 2 metres apart. Perhaps you didn’t use a lead on walks previously. Using a multipurpose lead (allows changing from a short lead to a longer lead by clipping in different positions) might help you and your dog maintain social distance from other dogs and owners.
Keep them mentally stimulated
Providing mental stimulation for your dog is always important. This helps them thrive and wards off anxiety. Ideas to incorporate into your day could include feeding mats. These add a challenge and mental stimulation to dinner time. Also, filling a toy with treats or paste will keep your dog engaged and content. Anything that keeps your dog entertained and amused will add up to helping dogs with lockdown.
Now might be a great time to really engage with your dog and teach him new tricks like giving a high five!
Check out Dog’s Trust other video clips for these trick ideas:
After lockdown?
Whilst many of us are in lockdown at home with our pets, our dogs will be loving the overload of quality time. But what happens when things return to normal? Our canine companions may have to adjust to life without everyone at home. Some advice seems to suggest that we should start preparing our four legged friends by spending time apart – starting with 30 minutes a day. So that when the day comes when we go back to work, it isn’t such a shock for them to be home alone again.
Wishing you all well during lockdown x
